


Tetsuya and the Frog

by bleuchees



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M, be kind to me universe, cant believe im posting this, first fic, omg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 03:43:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5990641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleuchees/pseuds/bleuchees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Princess & the Frog where Tetsu is the princess and Akashi is the frog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tetsuya and the Frog

Tetsuya wasn't supposed to go out this far. His father had warned him against wandering too far into the forest, had spoken of strange beasts and poisonous mushrooms, but- but- if he went just a little further, there was a pond he could play in, and try to catch the many little dark minnows that came to nibble on the banks. Just a little further. He clutched his golden ball to his chest, the cool surface slippery against the dry pads of his fingertips. Seeing a break in the trees, Tetsuya lurched forwards, a slim youth in the late trappings of pubescence. His clear blue eyes widened as they absorbed the image of a shimmering pond that broke into the dark calm of verdant foliage that surrounded him. Tripping into the clearing fringing the pond, Tetsuya exhaled softly as he took in the view before him. Creamy amber buds bloomed among deep green lily pads, connected by thready ripples of light dancing on the water's surface. Tetsuya inhaled the fresh scent of growth, and let his gentle smile grow. Crouching lightly, Tetsuya heaved the golden ball between his bent knees, and propelled it upwards and into the air, where it shone like a star. He'd been given the ball upon his thirteenth birthday, his traditional transition into adulthood. His father had wrought the hollow globe from pure gold, as a symbol for his responsibility towards the fragile. It was a heavy ball, but easily scratched and bent. It was Tetsuya's responsibility to protect it from the unforgiving dangers that lingered in the crevices of the world. 

Tetsuya loved it. The ball always seemed to be warm, absorbing his own body heat and the rays of the sun like few objects he'd seen. Despite its diminutive appearance, it weighed quite a bit. Every time he stroked its silky surface, it seemed more like a pet than simply an object. It was irreplaceable. 

So, when he heaved into the air to see it shine in its ethereal way, dread seized Tetsuya's heart as the ball plopped into the dark waves of the pond, and sunk into the depths of the water. 

"No!" he cried, birds and unseen wildlife rustling as they reacted to his exclamation slicing through the peace of the day. 

Nearby, a small figure stirred in the depths of the pond's dark currents. Kicking its legs, it stretched its body toward the surface, marked with filtered light. 

Tetsuya started, as a splash reached his ears. Turning towards the source of the noise, he was surprised to see a ruby dart from the waters onto the shore. Sharply drawing breath, Tetsuya tensed as a carmine frog settled on the shore of the pond not far from his position. 

"You," it croaked. Tetsuya's eyes widened in shock. "You called." 

"How- how are you speaking?" Tetsuya questioned, tripping backwards in revulsion. The creature stared at him through the slits bisecting its bulging eyes. It was repulsive, wrong. 

"Stupid boy," he frog burbled impatiently, and dove back into the shivering waters. 

"Wait!" Tetsuya shouted, inspiration striking. "I need you!" 

The frog's head popped back up above the water. "What" he vibrated, murky water spilling from his mouth. 

"I dropped my ball. Please, it's very precious to me. I can't replace it, and my father will never forgive me for losing it. It's in the pond," Tetsuya pleaded. 

The frog's eyes narrowed. "So what," it rasped. 

"I'll do anything you want," Tetsuya promised. "Just fetch it for me, please." 

The frog simply watched him for a long moment; then its lips stretched in a horrible satisfaction. 

"Then," it crooned, "you must love me, and let me live with you and eat from your plate, and sleep in your bed, then I will get your ball for you." 

"Yes, please!" Tetsuya beseeched. 

"Very well" the frog croaked, and dipped beneath the water's surface. 

A long silence passed in the clearing, broken only by the occasional chirping in the distance, and Tetsuya's own distressed breathing. At long last, a wet sphere rolled from the water's depths, shimmering as the sun's rays reflected into Tetsuya's eyes. 

A wet and squirming amphibian soon followed, eyeing Tetsuya as he seized the golden ball, holding it close to himself. 

"Now comes your end of the deal," croaked the toad. 

Tetsuya looked at the slimy creature, trepidation crawling up his spine. He tried to imagine sharing his soft sheets with this slimy creature, feeding it his food, his fingers trailing across its slippery surfaces. A shiver wracked his limbs, fear gripping his heart. The terrible vision quickly slipped away, and Tetsuya lurched backwards. He had what he wanted; he needn't stay. His father would be happy if he never ventured into the recesses of these woods again. He stumbled backwards, turned, his vision ripping from the horrible creature's face as it twisted with bitter realization, and he broke into a nervous sprint, his legs stretching towards home and safety. 

... 

It hadn't been three days before Tetsuya and his father were woken by the soft rattling of the door in the pre-dawn darkness. His father tumbled towards the door, and the creaking of the hinges as the door swung open struck an unnamed fear into Tetsuya's heart even before he'd fully broken from the clutches of sleep. 

"I'm come to claim my prize," and that horrible croak washed Tetsuya in freezing recognition, and he shivered awake as his father mumbled his incomprehension. 

"Father, close the door!" Tetsuya shouted, rolling from the comfort of his covers; too late. The frog slipped through the crack in the door, hopping around as it croaked wildly for its prize. 

"Tetsuya, what is this?" the man cried, jerking away from the slimy little frog bouncing around their humble cabin. "You haven't been wandering in that accursed forest again, have you?" 

"I'm sorry!" Tetsuya cringed at the dark look his father sent him even while scrabbling for a pot to trap the red menace with. 

It was after a couple minutes of this sort of undignified grasping at the red blur that they managed to get it cornered under the wire frame of Tetsuya's bed. 

"What do we do with it?" Tetsuya whispered frantically. "Should we kill it?" 

Tetsuya's father smacked him upside the head, whispering "Fool! You never kill a creature of magic. What is it even doing here?" 

Tetsuya shrunk into himself a little bit, mumbling, "All he did was get my ball..." 

"Tch!" the father spat. "What did you promise him?" 

At this, the frog thumped against the bed frame in agitation. "His house! His bed! His plate! His love!" 

The father turned to Tetsuya with wide incredulous eyes. "What were you thinking?" he shrieked, not bothering to keep his voice low now that it was obvious the horrid frog could hear them. 

"You said to protect the ball with my life!" Tetsuya defended himself. 

"I also said never to go into the forest, didn't I?" his father returned. 

"If you wanted - " 

A load croak broke into their bickering. "I'll have my prize!" bellowed the little amphibian. 

Tetsuya's father looked at him. Tetsuya looked back. "Oh, no," he groaned. "You can't be serious." 

"You never trifle with a magical creature, boy," said the father. "Not even for your life." 

The frog croaked agreeably in the corner. 

..................................................................... 

And that was how the Kuroko clan grew from two to three. 

Tetsuya had to take care of the little vermin like he was a pet, giving him little baths with their hot water because that was how he liked it, and allowing the pest to swipe food from Tetsuya's dinner plate with his long sticky tongue. At least once every night Tetsuya would lift his fork to take a bite, only to see his forkful of food snatched away by the red menace, who would then chew with the most satisfied look on his face. 

Tetsuya had never known before that a frog was capable of looking smug before meeting this one, but the look was smeared so thickly over its slimy little face Tetsuya worried it would physically rub off on him when he touched the frog. 

This was what made it unbearable. Tetsuya could have kept a large ruby frog much like the one he carried now and not complained once, but been enchanted by its preternatural glow. But this frog, this frog was intolerable. He complained about being too cold, too hot, too wet, too dry, and ordered Tetsuya this way and that. The frog stole his food right from his mouth and kept him up long nights by pressing his chilly feet into the small of Tetsuya's back. Tetsuya had to bathe him, Tetsuya had to carry him, Tetsuya had to feed him. It was preposterous. And still, the frog was dissatisfied. 

Tetsuya narrowed his eyes at the diabolical little glob of evil, and silently thought of plopping it into the boiling water held before him over the fireplace, before releasing a sigh and going to fetch the tongs. Carefully, he tipped the pot so that water dripped into a basin, filling it with steaming water. The frog watched with narrowed eyes, and after the bowl was cool enough, hopped into the steaming puddle and croaked happily. 

"Why do you need hot water, anyways?" Tetsuya asked, annoyed. 

"A frog's blood runs cold" the frog croaked. "I need heat or I'll freeze in this weather." 

"All the better for me," Tetsuya muttered sourly. 

Lately, frosty winds had been blowing in from the north, and Tetsuya's father had to hunt for big game to salt for the winter. He was out in the wild hunting while Tetsuya had to stay home and babysit the stupid frog. 

Suddenly, a howl tore through the quiet of the evening, striking cold fear into Tetsuya's heart. Heart pounding, Tetsuya grabbed his bow and knife and strapped them on quickly. 

"Where are you going?" croaked the frog worriedly. 

"I have to find my father. He isn't safe out there anymore," said Tetsuya, and without wasting any more time took off, his cloak flapping about him in the wind. 

"Wait!" rasped the frog, but Tetsuya ignored him. He had to save his father. 

Following the trail he and his father usually took, Tetsuya went deep into the forest and started to prowl, searching for his father in their usual distant hunting grounds. Tetsuya kept looking and looking, but it was still hours before he could discern a scream in the distance. Running towards the sound, Tetsuya pulled up short at the horrible scene before him. A large grey wolf with a large wound from shoulder to hip ripped the flesh from his father's corpse, blood dripping from its chin. 

Tetsuya's eyes widened in shock. Rage sparking in his chest, he drew his bow and aimed at the wolf, drawing in a shuddering breath before releasing the arrow. The wolf squealed as the arrow impaled its rib cage, and scrabbled on the ground as Tetsuya drew closer, knife in hand. He stared into its wide, terrified grey eye and squeezed the handle of the knife, before letting go. Silently, Tetsuya took his father's body and began to half-carry, half-drag it back to their home. 

After he buried the body, Tetsuya curled up with his blankets and sobbed. The frog hopped closer, and Tetsuya struck it back, shouting "Go away!" 

The frog skidded across the floor and didn't move. Heart thudding, Tetsuya rushed over to the frog and cradled it in his arms. "I'm sorry," he cried. "I'm so sorry..." 

... 

A warm wind whistled through the trees, ruffling Tetsuya's hair as he lay on the ground with a large red frog perched on his tummy. 

"Today is very nice isn't it?" Tetsuya hummed, eyes closed. 

"It'll be summer soon," the frog replied. "There'll be plenty to eat," 

Tetsuya peeked down at the frog. Ever since Tetsuya's father died, the frog had become his only friend, a crutch to lean on in the wake of tragedy. Now, he was happy the frog was around to pester him into menial work for him; Tetsuya shuddered to think what he'd do on his own. 

"It's getting late," said Tetsuya. "We should head back." 

Tetsuya filled a basin with warm water, and heaved it up, treading along the path they'd started to make after walking back and forth so often. At the cabin, Tetsuya set the bowl of water down on the ground as the sun sank beneath the mountains. 

Hesitating, Tetsuya pressed a kiss to the frog's forehead like his mother once did to him, and bid the frog goodnight. 

When he woke, morning light streamed into the cabin, illuminating two bleary figures. Tetsuya shot straight up in bed. A naked red head was lying on his floor and the frog was nowhere to be seen. After draping a blanket over the prone form, Tetsuya cleared his throat loudly. The stranger's eyes open, the same ruby as the frog's skin. Suddenly, he looked at himself, feeling his arms and legs, before turning to Tetsuya and saying "You broke the curse!" 

"What?" Tetsuya scooted back, his eyes wide with alarm. 

"A witch cursed me to become a frog because I tried to defeat her, and the curse could only be defeated by true love!" he cried. "You are my true love!" He grasped Tetsuya's hand while keeping the blanket wrapped around himself. 

"You mean you're the frog?" Tetsuya asked, nonplussed. 

The sharp-eyed boy smiled. "Yes," he grinned, then leaned in to peck Tetsuya on the lips. 

Blushing, Tetsuya stepped back. 

"I have been restored!" said the boy, unbothered. He looked down at his hands with dawning wonder on his face. 

"Who are you?," Tetsuya questioned. 

"My name is Akashi Seijuurou," said the boy. "I am the prince of this land, heir to the throne. And you are my bride." 

"I'm not a bride." Tetsuya stated, unamused. 

"Close enough," Akashi shrugged. "I can summon my carriage now that I will be recognized." 

And he clapped thrice. A carriage came around the corner pulled by two horses, led by a green haired man. 

"Midorima!" Akashi cried. "It's good to see you." 

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Midorima subtly wiped away tears. "To the castle, I presume?" he inquired as Akashi and Tetsuya stepped into the carriage. "That's right," assured Akashi. Clank! 

"What was that?" Tetsuya asked, concerned about the carriage wheels. 

"Don't worry about it," Akashi smiled. "Tetsuya, will you marry me?" 

Clank! 

"I don't suppose I have any choice in the matter," Tetsuya reminded him wryly, "since we've been sharing bed and meal long before this." 

Clank! 

"What is that sound?" Tetsuya frowned. Akashi smiled. 

"That is the sound of iron bands breaking free from my heart," said Midorima. 

**Author's Note:**

> Any feedback appreciated.


End file.
